My Antonia used symbolism in a beautiful way. In my opinion, the three main symbols used by William Cather are the plow, Jim, and the landscape of the states of Nebraska.
The plow symbolizes the farming that exists in the area. A plow is an essential tool for farming, therefore, it is clear that it symbolizes someone's hard work to live off the land. In one moment in the novel, William Cather writes “The fields below us were dark, the sky was growing pale, and that forgotten plow had sunk back to its own littleness somewhere on the prairie.”. The people are courageous because they are trying to live off the harsh lands of Nebraska. Jim is detailed in a way that he feels consumed by the vast bushy plains and so is the plow as " back into its' own littleness".…show more content… William uses this technique from the period where Jim is described to have been in Nebraska until he is already a lawyer in New York city. She writes “When Jim was still an obscure young lawyer, struggling to make his way in New York, his career was suddenly advanced by a brilliant marriage.”.
I am aware that I am supposed to use the most important argument on the beginning of an essay but I decided to leave the symbolism of the Nebraska landscape for last. The passion that William Cather shares while describing the Nebraska landscape is incredible and it is the greatest way she uses symbolism in My Antonia. The landscape depicts the immense human environment's idea where people are living their lives and moving around. The landscape reflects Jim's feelings towards his relationship with the people and culture of Nebraska. The only strong memory in Jim's childhood memories is the landscape. William Cather writes “The only thing very noticeable about Nebraska was that it was still, all day long,
